In between phases

Every photographer, freelancer and anyone self employed has their ups and downs when it comes to career. Photographers often start out as artists wanting to create or capture something they think is important to document. Eventually though their original intent changes and reality sets in? they need to quickly learn business, marketing and a variety of government paperwork BS that they often have no interest in. Their work place changes and things in general become diluted. Their original vision is lost…

Things become overwhelming sometimes, as you try to deal with terra bytes of data, clients with demands, crazy business ideas and trying to keep everyone happy. Have you ever tried to keep a hard drive happy? They are very moody sometimes? You just need to step back and take a look at what you have created. The photos you have taken, the documentation you have made of history and the life you are living.

When meeting with a client this morning over coffee we got to talking about an old job we use to share, we where both younger, working in retail and in all honesty, hating it. We enjoyed the people we worked with but not the job it’s self. We both where working for someone else, restrained by working hours and had little to no freedom. This was life…

When I moved on with my career and into photography I had the typical vision of creating and making people happy. Obviously life set in and I realized quickly I needed to make a living at this or go back to flipping burgers. And even more obviously I didn’t want that to happen, so I began to learn everything I could about the business side of my career.

Things have turned out well of course because I am still doing what I love. I have the freedom of working for my self. I can go for a coffee when ever I like. I can meet clients where ever I like and I don’t need to answer to anyone. Of course I need to work with others, make money to live my life and pay the bills and cater to clients every day. But I’ve never been happier in my life doing that now then I have ever been. My clients are fantastic and I get to meet new people every day.

I don’t think I would change a thing.